50 Pentagon Staff Polygraphed Over Leaks

According to The New York Times, approximately 50 staff members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of the United States underwent polygraph examinations following leaks of classified information to the media.

Consensus

• Around 50 employees of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff underwent polygraph testing.
• The polygraph tests were conducted in August.
• The tests were related to leaks of classified information to the media.
• The leaks concerned shortages of critical military ammunition, including Patriot missile systems.
• The U.S. Department of Defense stated it takes leaks of classified information seriously and conducts investigations.
• The Joint Chiefs of Staff has between 1,500 and 2,000 officers and officials.
• The tests were described as unprecedented in modern U.S. history.

Points of divergence

• The purpose of the checks was not only to find those responsible for leaks but also to intimidate other employees. — meduza
• The New York Times noted the unprecedented scale of the polygraph checks among top military officials in U.S. history. — meduza

Coverage (2 sources)

• US authorities tested 50 Joint Chiefs of Staff members on polygraph due to secret information leaks in media — Meduza
• About 50 Pentagon employees underwent polygraph testing in connection with information leaks — Интерфакс

Key entities

• USA
• Media
• The New York Times
• Pentagon
• Armed Forces
• Moscow
• INTERFAX.RU
• Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
• Federal Customs Service